Ho-Ho-Holiday Catalog Info

The season is upon us and your print holiday catalogs will drop soon. But SIBA is offering any member store the opportunity to sell the holiday catalog titles even if you did not take the print version.  We have two ways to help you sell more books this holiday season.

First, we will offer you your own html version of the catalog that you can post to your website, and books will link back to your details pages for purchase.

Second, and new this year, we are providing six emails to be sent to your customers on your behalf weekly starting the week of November 12th, and ending the week of December 17th. Each email will focus on a different category:

Sign up here

Looking for some ideas about where to distribute your print holiday catalogs?  The Influencers Team shared some ideas you may find useful:

Place them in an Arts & Entertainment Weekly paper.
Place them in local public, college, and school libraries, grocery store racks, doctor and dentist offices, and hotels.
Host a holiday book club event and share them with book clubs.
Take them to your Neighborhood Association Meeting and work a trade with other vendors.  
Let us know how you plan to distribute your holiday catalogs by emailing wanda@sibaweb.com.

Final Note:  Additional Item:  CROSSWORD JIGSAW® DOUBLE CHALLENGE PUZZLE, 2nd EDITION Babalu (9781944247300) $17.95 & CROSSWORD JIGSAW® DOUBLE CHALLENGE PUZZLE Babalu (978194426969) $17.95 will be available from Baker & Taylor.  

There's One Week Left to Apply for the Carla Gray Scholarship!

The Carla Gray Memorial Scholarship for Emerging Bookseller-Activists is unlike any other scholarship the Binc Foundation has offered. This year-long professional development scholarship is intended to help a bookseller with fewer than five years of experience connect with other booksellers, publishers, and authors and to establish the long-term relationships that keep the book industry thriving. The scholarship includes funds to attend Winter Institute 2019 and a 2019 fall regional trade show. The bookseller will also be granted funding to support a community outreach project of their own design. Applications are open now. 

You have till October 9 to apply!

THE BOOKS YOUR COLLEAGUES ARE TALKING ABOUT

Submitted this week on Edelweiss+ using the "send to SIBA" option. Thanks to Avid Bookshop, Bookmiser, Fiction Addiction, Malaprop's Bookstore/Cafe, and The Country Bookshop.

9781524798628 Daisy Jones & The Six 3/5/2019
"This is a 24 hour freight train of a book that I couldn't put down."

9781250307460 The Beast Player 3/26/2019
"Not since LeGuin's A WIZARD OF EARTHSEA or the Harry Potter series have I felt so wonderfully immersed in a fantasy novel."

9780062388209 The Other Miss Bridgerton 11/20/2018
"Eloisa James hasn't written a bad book. They are all excellent and this one is no exception."

9780525577942 The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein 9/25/2018
"sure to put a creepy cold chill into the heart of every reader"

9780393652369 Essential Essays 8/28/2018
"This is a book to give to anyone - young or old - who wants to deepen their experience of meaning."

More bookseller reviews

If your store does not have an Edelweiss+ account and need help setting one up, contact Linda-Marie

SIBA in the Springtime 2019

We are making our plans for Spring and we'd love to include you. Here's how the event is shaping up and all of the opportunities for you. We will be in Atlanta.

Here's how things are shaping up:

Monday, March 18th - We are planning a Bookstores Bus Tour ($19) of the Atlanta-area bookstores.  We will also be hosting an Authors Dinner ($39) that evening.

Tuesday, March 19th - EUREKAsiba* ($29) - This day-long bookseller event will be open to a maximum of 100 booksellers and will include lunch, a series of talks, breakouts, and author reception followed by Author dinner ($39).  The American Booksellers Association will present an early morning education session and hold their Bookseller Forum over lunch.

If you'd like to consider presenting a EUREKAsiba talk, simply email your idea to wanda@sibaweb.com.

Wednesday, March 20th - Carver Training ($19) - There will be a half- day Carver Training with Miriam Carver for anyone interested in learning more about the inner workings of SIBA's governance model.

All events total $145 but the complete package is only $99 for core SIBA members.  And Core members can apply B3! points to any fees or hotel costs.

 *Items for any potential EUREKAsiba presenters to consider:  Talks need to be between 11 and 18 minutes, and cannot go over time.  In developing your idea, write your idea down in one or two sentences. Ask yourself three questions: Is my idea new? Are you telling people something you're pretty sure they have not heard before? Is it interesting? Think about how your idea might apply to a room full of varied kinds of people. Who might be interested in it? Is it factual and realistic? If you are presenting new research, make sure your idea is backed by data and peer reviewed. If you are presenting a call to action, make sure it can be executed by members of your audience. If you answered “no” to any of these questions, refine your idea. Ask someone you respect who doesn’t work in your field, and if they answer “no” to any of these questions, refine your idea.

Here is a good structure for your talk.

1. Start by making your audience care, using a relatable example or an intriguing idea. 
2. Explain your idea clearly and with conviction. 
3. Describe your evidence and how and why your idea could be implemented. 
4. End by addressing how your idea could affect your audience if they were to accept it.

And a few links to consider if you'd like:

http://speakupforsuccess.com/how-are-ted-talks-and-business-presentations-different/

https://storage.ted.com/tedx/manuals/tedx_speaker_guide.pdf

https://www.ted.com/talks/nancy_duarte_the_secret_structure_of_great_talks

A Hurricane of Biblical Proportions Couldn’t Keep Them Away: Steve Moss attends his first SIBA Discovery Show

Booksellers, authors, publishers, and industry exhibitors from North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama (Roll Tide), Louisiana, Virginia, and of course Florida, descended on the spectacular Innisbrook Golf Resort in Palm Harbor Florida, just north of Tampa, for the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance 2018 and its “Make Your Mark” conference.

As a first-time attendee and a Reba and Dave Williams Scholarship Fund beneficiary, I was joyfully overwhelmed with not only abundant southern charm and hospitality, but by a completely packed and extremely well-organized schedule of events including readings, movies, dinners, lunches, exhibitions, lectures, author panels, and bookstore tours, as well as workshops and industry-themed meetings designed to maximize the efforts of what our industry is all about.   

I found myself with writer’s cramp, checking off in my show directory all the events I wanted to be a part of.

Innovation engineer and whiskey maker Doug Hall started things off for me with his “Driving Eureka! Problem Solving with Data Driven Methods and the Innovation Engineering System” workshop. Forcing participants to think outside the box in approaching industry as well as personal challenges, I found this to be an instructive and valuable hands-on workshop, training people to get to a new idea quickly by mapping out their strategy in an easy to grasp methodology.

A tour of the area’s Independent bookstores followed, with stops at the historic, impressive Oxford Exchange, an all-purpose, on purpose, bookstore, coffee shop, restaurant, meeting and event venue, all housed in a 100+ year old building. One of the many wonderful meals of the week to come was served in the restaurant there, with the gracious folks from Baker & Taylor picking up the tab.

On to Inkwood Books, a quintessential bookshop in downtown Tampa, with a knowledgeable and friendly staff, they welcomed us with open arms. I picked up a couple of merchandising ideas there, so if any of the staff happens to stop by my shop, they’ll be recognizable.

Next stop, Mojo Books and Music. This is a time machine of a place, harkening back to the bookstores of my youth, shelves filled floor to ceiling with books, the bookcases sheer weight being supported by wooden shims, actual LP record albums, music CD’s, and a nostalgic display of posters in one of those old time racks you can leisurely flip through. I wish I had budgeted for the signed first edition of “You’re Only Old Once,” by Dr. Seuss they had displayed under glass, but I settled for a store t-shirt and a Blade Runner movie poster. The bus ride “home” was narrated tour guide style by Arcadia Press author Mark Muncy who, as the author of Freaky Florida, filled us all in on some of the more odd histories and mysteries of Florida. I’ve lived in Florida all my life and even learned a few things!

SIBA started off with a bang, or should I say, a Bragg, Thursday morning, with 2019 Pat Conroy Legacy Award Recipient, Rick Bragg. I’ve known Rick for years from his appearances at my store, and he is always on point, a deliberately measured storyteller, and downright hysterically funny fellow. What a treat to see him honored, and to hear his perspective and recollections of Pat.

Various classes, lectures, workshops, escape rooms, and author readings filled the next few days, along with marvelous breakfasts, lunches and dinners, always with an author or authors and most of us attendees seeking out our areas of interest;  in my case, seeking out new roads and discovering new interests, as well as meeting and forming alliances with other booksellers, vendors, and publishers. I got a few good pointers from a class involving AV, which is one of my specialties, but I’m always open to learning new ideas. I didn’t get involved with the “Escape Rooms,” as I would probably still be there, but I understand they were great fun.

It’s also worth mentioning, that all the accommodations and events were housed on the same site so everything SIBA had to offer was within easy reach of anyone walking. Taking advantage of the free shuttle buses provided was also most appreciated for those not used to the 90+ degree temperatures. Wherever we were, we were made as comfortable as possible.

Workshops with titles “Maximizing Pre-Order Campaigns,” “Is Profit a Dirty Word?,” and “Inventory Management,” proved to be invaluable tools for those not normally attached to this part of the business. Events like “The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness,”  “Okra Picks and Their Authors Unite,” and “From the Frontlist to the Bestseller List” proved insatiable to those who love this part of the business. There really were too many great and helpful events to list effectively here.

Sadly, a couple of events were cancelled or abbreviated due to the nasty Ms. Florence, but again, she didn’t stop us from making the most out of all that was presented with quality and quantity. With workshops and lectures ranging in duration from 20 minutes to 4 hours, there was always something going on for everyone.  

Some authors who couldn’t make the trip due to various prior commitments or travel restrictions due to the storm were gracious enough to join us via video presentation; notably, Jarrett Krosoczka, who left the room speechless with his presentation of Hey, Kiddo. His heart-wrenching story of being raised by his grandparents, while his mother wrote him letters from prison, is on display for all to see in graphic novel form. Another highlight for me was the “Writing, Riding, Righting Historical Fiction” session with Amy Stewart, Jonathan Putnam, Signe Pike and Kristina McMorris. Another delectable dinner with a recipe from the book Southern Snacks by Perre Coleman Magness was served, along with readings by B.A. Shapiro, and Mary Laura Philpott was almost too much stimulation for the day. Almost.

Who would have thought Books would go with Bourbon? I’m sure the majority of our literary giants would not argue. The Southern Fried Karma and Blair Publishers event with “Books & Bourbon & Banter” took place in the cavernous Inverness Hall foyer with the theme of “Cultivating Artistic Voices of the New Millennium with a Southern Accent,” was well received.   

Everywhere was a cornucopia of ARC’s, catalogs, pens, pencils, book bags, matchbooks, business cards, snacks, The Book Industry Charitable Foundation (Binc), reps, and of course, Books & Books & Books. Trying to fill my numerous book bags with as much as I could carry for friends and colleagues back home, I must confess, a few choice signed first editions were now destined for my private library at home.

Did I mention southern hospitality and southern charm goes hand in hand with plenty of food? Doughnuts, coffee, cake, tea and snacks were in abundance and within easy reach for all. Every event, workshop and lecture was sponsored by, or presented by, or in cooperation with, SIBA, and Industry heavyweights Baker & Taylor, Arcadia Publishing, BQB/WriteLife, Blair Carolina Wren, Publishers Weekly, Bookazine, BINC, Harpercollins, Flatiron Books, Ingram Content Group, National Geographic Books, Andrea Thome, 83 Press, Penguin Random House, Southern Fried Karma, University of North Carolina Press, and The Reba and Dave Williams Foundation for Literature and the Arts.  

The Friday night “Readers Supper” with the aforementioned Conroy Legacy Winner Rick Bragg was again a highlight, with Rick’s signature, off the cuff entertaining approach to storytelling. Unbelievably, I was seated at the same table with too-many-to-list-multiple-award-winner-and-prolific-author-legend, Walter Mosley, who gave one of his trademark remarkable readings. His latest, John Woman, is receiving the praise it deserves. Martha Hall Kelley, with her story of Holocaust survivors, The Lost Roses, was also a standout. Emcee Doug Robinson from Eagle Eye Books in Decatur, GA, did a great job as host.

The bittersweet after dinner movie, “The Bookshop” was the perfect denouement to the day.

Table after table of books filled with selections from the aforementioned publishing houses dominated Saturday, at least until “The Moveable Feast.” This was an actual feast of yet more food, as over 20 authors relocated from table to table to tell us their stories and allow questions and interact on a personal level with booksellers. We sat attentively listening and eating. I felt a bit conflicted for the authors as they had to rise and switch tables every few minutes to repeat what they had just imparted, but they seemed to love it.

SIBA Executive Director Wanda Jewell and Assistant Director Linda-Marie Barrett are to be commended for their organizational perfection and well-executed schedule of events at this landmark conference, as well as organizing the spacious and comfortable accommodations for all us attendees. I overheard nothing but positive responses from all those I interacted with.

I was back on the road home in the late afternoon, after having as many books as I could get signed by the authors, my car trunk packed with ARCs and ephemera, and my head swimming with everything that had transpired over the last 4 days. Rarely does one get afforded the exquisite pleasure of a literary experience such as this. Stories and ideas for stories, fondness for new friends and old, remembrances of authors known and newly discovered, coupled with thoughts of how I could improve my own bookshop’s ambiance, relationships with customers, and of course, sales, swirled around in my head. Crossing through the Everglades on my way back to Miami, with the soundtrack of the journey over the radio provided by Kenny Chesney, Phil Vasser, and Josh Wilson, I had plenty of positivity taking root, including the notion of someday writing about this experience and wondering perhaps about spending my retirement years playing golf at the immense Copperhead Course at the all-inclusive, self-contained, relaxing, Home of the Valspar Open, Innisbrook Golf Resort!

SIBA left its MARK on me!

See y’all next time!

Steve Moss

Events and Store Manager

Books and Books

Coral Gables, Florida

     . 

On Wednesday, October 17 at 2pm SIBA hosts the B3! Webinar: Partner with IngramSpark to Enhance Your Publishing and Marketing Services to Authors. Josh Floyd and Kimberly Daniels Taws, with the addition of Jamille Christman, are reprising their presentation from the SIBA revival on July 20. Josh is with IngramSpark, and will give an overview of how bookstores are utilizing their services in various ways, including producing store-branded journals. Kimberly will share her work with local authors and the store's approach to publishing with IngramSpark. Jamille of Eagle Eye Books will discuss the success of consignment programs that are marketing specific, using IngramSpark materials.

Keebe Fitch of McIntyre's Books in Pittsboro, NC attended the revival and praised, "This revival session was jam-packed with good information. My coworker felt we picked up more in that short period that was useful to our store going forward than any other education we participated in this year."

Sarah Goddin of Quail Ridge Books also attended and added, "Josh gave a really valuable presentation on using Ingram Spark for setting up a bookstore publishing program. Having Kimberly's first-hand experience with it made it even more useful. I couldn't scribble notes and ideas down fast enough."

Please rsvp to lindamarie@sibaweb.com to reserve your spot in the webinar.

About our presenters:

Bookseller Sami Thomason Reflects on an "Absolutely Unforgettable" #SIBA18!

My first SIBA show was absolutely unforgettable! From William Joyce's tear-jerking speech about the end of the Guardians series to Rick Bragg's side-splitting acceptance of the Pat Conroy Legacy award, I was constantly amazed by the brilliance of the many authors who spoke. I loved catching up with old friends like Jo Watson Hackl and Jimmy Cajoleas, who have both held events with Square Books, Jr., and making new connections with authors I have admired for years, such as Roshani Chokshi and Max Brallier. Only at SIBA can you grab a glass of wine and run into your literary heroes!

I thought the sales floor would be an overwhelming experience, but thanks to guidance from the SIBA staff, I navigated my way through all the amazing exhibitions. It was great seeing my sales reps and meeting their cohorts and getting the very best recommendations. In fact, my greatest triumph at SIBA happened on the exhibition floor when I won a cake at the cakewalk, and quickly made friends with everyone on the floor; there was too much cake to take back on the plane! I now have sweet memories of delicious cake and armfuls of books and catalogs to dig into. 

What sets SIBA apart from other conferences is definitely the element of Southern hospitality. Every bookseller I met immediately put me at ease and made me feel like we were old friends. I've got a list as long as my arm of stores I want to visit; I'm coming for you, Octavia Books! As a fairly new bookseller, I'm so grateful at SIBA who made me feel so welcome. Hopefully I'll see everyone next year-can we meet at the pool? 

Some facts about Sami:

Store and location: 

Square Books, Jr., Oxford Mississippi

Number of years as a bookseller: 

2.5

What you do at the store:

Teen and event buyer, book box curator, social media coordinator, book club liason

What book(s) are you reading?:

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi and Pride by Ibi Zoboi

Favorite handsell right now:

Sadie by Courtney Summers-a genuinely chilling mystery with an amazing podcast element.

Baker & Taylor offering 46% Discount thru 10/15 on all Rick Bragg titles. 

Baker & Taylor is making it easy for booksellers to create a display in honor of 2019 Conroy Legacy Award Recipient Rick Bragg.  Bookstores can take advantage of the offer in a number of ways:

• Order via their POS
• Order via Baker & Taylor's TS 360
• Contact their sales rep for help.

The special discount ends October 15, 2018. All orders placed between now and then will receive the discount.

No promo code is required, no minimum quantity is required, and there's no limit on the number of orders during the sale.

Here is a link to the PDF listing Rick Bragg's works. 

http://indie.baker-taylor.com/Portals/43/documents/promotions/SALE-RickBragg.pdf

Shelf Awareness has a good recap of SIBA member stores that have been affected by Hurricane Florence.

We also want to remind booksellers that if they find themselves in need of assistance, Binc can help:

https://www.bincfoundation.org/financial-assistance/

THE BOOKS YOUR COLLEAGUES ARE TALKING ABOUT

Submitted this week on Edelweiss+ using the "send to SIBA" option. Thanks to Avid Bookshop, Book No Further, Bookmiser, Fiction Addiction, Flyleaf Books, Intinerant Literate, Malaprop's Bookstore/Cafe, McIntyre's Fine Books, Octavia Books, Page and Palette, Parnassus Books, Square Books, The Country Bookshop, and Writers Block Bookstore.

9781524765859 Little Taco Truck 4/2/2019
"Who doesn't love food trucks, and especially a taco truck."

9781250297150 Cape May 4/30/2019
"This novel is juicy, sharp, and soaked in gin."

9781101919095 Sir Simon: Super Scarer 9/4/2018
"hilarious, sweet, and wholly original. I ended up getting a copy for myself (and I don't even have kids")

9780062684875 Blackfish City 10/2/2018
"a cast of engaging and diverse point of view characters, an intriguing plot, incredible worldbuilding, and beautiful prose. Plus, AN ORCAMANCER AND A POLAR BEAR"

9781628729832 The Accident on the A35 10/30/2018
"the the type of quietly satisfying novel that I find myself gladly responding to these days"

9781643130583 A Friend is a Gift You Give Yourself 3/5/2019
"Yowza, did I just maybe read a future crime fiction classic?"

9781250191793 Boomer1 9/18/2018
"chronicles the frustration of a generation looking for work, meaning in purpose in a crowded world. Obsessive, Darkly hilarious, and though provoking"

More bookseller reviews

If your store does not have an Edelweiss+ account and need help setting one up, contact Linda-Marie